Various types of electrical locks for safe doors and the like have been developed heretofore as shown in prior patents to one of the inventors herein, Klaus W. Gartner, including U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,702,070; 3,758,734; and 4,745,784. These patents show various types of electrical input means for operating an electrical lock for locking a safe door or the like. Another electronic combination door lock which senses the position of an associated dead bolt operated by the electrical means is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,148,092.
In these prior exemplary electronic lock mechanisms, and in other known prior electronic lock mechanisms, the associated locking mechanisms have not been automatically self-locking. Specifically, in the case of a safe door which has a manually operated bolt works thrown between door locking and unlocking conditions by the turning of a door handle, the door can be closed with the door handle in an apparent bolt locking position, easily visible to an observer thereof, but the associated lock mechanism may or may not be locked depending upon whether the associated dial mechanism or electronic lock mechanism also has been adjusted to a locking mode or condition. In certain commercial utilizations, employees handling money during the working day may prefer not to have to manipulate an electronic or combination lock to open and close the safe and simply throw the bolt works of the door into a locked condition when the safe door is closed, the door then appearing to be in a locked condition, even though it is not.